Stash

This is my stash.  I always have a stash.  I am a chocolate FREAK.  Really.  I’ve been to the International Chocolate Show in New York–three times.  Just for fun.  I read books about chocolate.  I dream about chocolate.  I eat some every single day, usually several times a day.  I squirrel special bits of chocolate away, hidden in various places, so no one else can find my stash.

This particular stash is a step down, for me.  Usually I keep really good stuff in my house:  very high-end bars, or handmade truffles, or double-dipped malt balls. or decadent home-baked goodies.  I’m partial to chocolate paired with orange, or mint; in my freezer right now is a bag full of frozen truffle centers that I haven’t dipped yet; they’re flavored with fresh mint from my garden and a special citrus-infused vodka that I bought in Miami.  Whenever we go anywhere, I search out the best local chocolatiers and stock up to supplement my stash.

But it has come to my attention that the stash is a slippery slope.  The more I have, the more I eat.  One malted milk ball after lunch becomes two, then one day I go for a long run, and three seems like a good idea, then I go for my pap smear, and I have four to treat myself–you get the picture.  Slippery slope.

So last week my stash got down to nothing, and I needed something new.  I decided that what I really needed was something small and individually packaged, with the calorie information clearly listed on the label.  Even a standard chocolate bar (like the Chocolove dark chocolate with orange peel . . . mmmm) that has the calories on the label is too tempting for me–one square becomes two, and I know the package is open, even if it’s hidden in the back of the cabinet, and how much is a serving size, anyway?

So I bought the Ghirardelli.  It’s a mix of flavors–a plain dark, caramel, raspberry, and mint–so I won’t get bored.  They’re individually wrapped, so I don’t feel like there’s an open wrapper calling out to me.  And each square is 63 calories.  No fudging (sorry, couldn’t resist that).  One square after lunch, one after dinner.   This is me, demonstrating willpower.

I hid the bag away, so that I have to really make an effort to get to it, but I won’t easily come across it in a weak moment.  I’m not telling where, because, well, it’s the stash.